Communication and Ethics in the Workplace

Communication and ethics: Ethical communication is the foundation of decision making, responsible thinking and the building of relationships, not just in day to day life, but at work as well. Ethical communication has also been shown to enhance human worth and increase dignity because it embraces personal integrity, respect of self and others, fairness and truthfulness.

Do you tell a lie to cover up an oversight or to avoid hurting someone's feelings? Is omitting facts the same as telling a lie, and is it ethical to only give part of the picture.

A great way to enhance ethical communication in your organization is through your mission statement. While your mission statement is designed to showcase your company, and show what makes your company better than the competition it should also motivate your employees to behave in such a manner that they honor the company and its goals and objectives.

The mission statement works in conjunction with the code of conduct and the vision statement of the company. There has to be unity amongst these three aspects of the organization and they all need to be communicated to the staff. They have to be more than words written in an employee handbook, they need to be a part of everything that is done every day within the organization. Communication and ethics start at the top and flow down the employee chain.

This means that if the people in charge don't support the mission statement, if they aren't adhering to the code of conduct for the organization how can the employees under them be expected to. Not that two wrongs make a right, but it is important that all employees be held to the same standard. Considering running an ongoing campaign that promotes ethical behavior in the work place such as weekly employee meetings where outstanding employees are rewarded for their efforts.

It is important to remember that your mission statement is a representation of the goals and strategies of the business. Therefore it should connect the strategies and goals into a working plan for the company. If you are looking to be the best donut making bakery in the world, then it stands to reason that you would want to only use the finest ingredients and that you expect your bakers to know the recipes, care about the preparation of the dough each day and when the donuts are presented to the public they are presented in the same manor that a precious diamond would be presented. This means that they are presented with care, tact and appreciation.

It isn't enough to tell your employees what you expect of them. Reiterating the mission statement to them or having them memorize the code of conduct. The attitude and the actions of the employees reflects the leadership they observe. The best way to make sure that your employees are acting accordingly is to make sure that you and the other people that are in positions of power practice ethical communication, uphold your mission statement and adhere to the code of conduct.

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